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Ezekiel 5:1-4
New English Translation
Ezekiel 5:1-4
New English Translation
5 “As for you, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor.[a] Shave off some of the hair from your head and your beard.[b] Then take scales and divide up the hair you cut off. 2 Burn a third of it in the fire inside the city when the days of your siege are completed. Take a third and slash it with a sword all around the city. Scatter a third to the wind, and I will unleash a sword behind them. 3 But take a few strands of hair[c] from those and tie them in the ends of your garment.[d] 4 Again, take more of them and throw them into the fire,[e] and burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all the house of Israel.
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- Ezekiel 5:1 tn The Hebrew word occurs only here in the OT.
- Ezekiel 5:1 tn Heb, “pass (it) over your head and your beard.”
- Ezekiel 5:3 tn Heb “from there a few in number.” The word “strands” has been supplied in the translation for clarification.
- Ezekiel 5:3 sn Objects could be carried in the end of a garment (Hag 2:12).
- Ezekiel 5:4 tn Heb “into the midst of” (so KJV, ASV). This phrase has been left untranslated for stylistic reasons.
Ezekiel 5:1-4
New International Version
Ezekiel 5:1-4
New International Version
God’s Razor of Judgment
5 “Now, son of man, take a sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor(A) to shave(B) your head and your beard.(C) Then take a set of scales and divide up the hair. 2 When the days of your siege come to an end, burn(D) a third(E) of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city. And scatter a third to the wind.(F) For I will pursue them with drawn sword.(G) 3 But take a few hairs and tuck them away in the folds of your garment.(H) 4 Again, take a few of these and throw them into the fire(I) and burn them up. A fire will spread from there to all Israel.
Ezekiel 5:1-4
New King James Version
Ezekiel 5:1-4
New King James Version
A Sword Against Jerusalem
5 “And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, (A)and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. 2 (B)You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of (C)the city, when (D)the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after (E)them. 3 (F)You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment. 4 Then take some of them again and (G)throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel.
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Ezekiel 5:1-4
English Standard Version
Ezekiel 5:1-4
English Standard Version
Jerusalem Will Be Destroyed
5 “And you, (A)O son of man, take a (B)sharp sword. Use it as (C)a barber's razor and (D)pass it over your head and your beard. Then take balances for weighing and divide the hair. 2 (E)A third part you shall burn in the fire (F)in the midst of the city, (G)when the days of the siege are completed. And a third part you shall take and strike with the sword all around the city. (H)And a third part you shall scatter to the wind, and (I)I will unsheathe the sword after them. 3 (J)And you shall take from these a small number and bind them in the skirts of your robe. 4 (K)And of these again you shall take some and cast them into the midst of the fire and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will come out into all the house of Israel.
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New English Translation (NET)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.